Video Transcription

How to Study for the Trial HSC!

Hey guys, how’s it going? Sha from That Student Australia, and I’m here at the new University of Newcastle campus and studying business. I wanted to make a quick video because I’ve had a few people ask about HSC exams, which are coming up really soon. So, I’m going to give you my biggest tips, because that is still the hardest three weeks of my entire life. I’ve never worked so hard as you do in year 12. One of those years I was doing engineering, and then the next one I was doing law and commerce. It does not compare to the trial exams.

My first tip, which is in every video I make about how to study, is pretty simple: the syllabus. You need good textbooks full of information from your teacher or online resources, and you need to answer every single point that applies to the subject you’re doing, covering all the topics that will be in the exam. The syllabus is really straightforward, so use it as your guide. Write down notes and answer any possible questions for the topics. For English and history, which are a little bit more abstract, they’ll still give you a paragraph of what they want you to know, and you can check against that. Make sure you cover all that.

So either way, you will need a syllabus, some textbooks, or online materials, and you need to make really good notes that answer every single part. They may ask every single part of a major study, so this applies to all your advanced math, science, English, history, and art exams. The best way to test your knowledge is to make sure you’re hitting the standard that will be expected of you in the exam.

You can’t get feedback on these during the exam, so mark yourself and use past papers mixed in with the previous steps. The next thing you want to do is swap to reviewing past papers and make sure you’re practicing them. Once you’ve done that, you need to think about things that are definitely going to come up. For example, if you’re doing math, you need to memorize the way things work because those questions are definitely going to appear.

If you’re doing English, you know you’re going to get an essay question on modules one, two, and three, or a creative writing question. You need to be prepared specifically for these because they will definitely come up. If I had SATs, I’d memorize each of the modules and creative writing pieces. I’ve made a video on how to make good notes for English, so check that out.

Look at things that will definitely come up—memorize those things. For example, you might have key diagrams, formulas, or the basic stuff in English that you need to know. Without these, you’ll be in trouble.

So, apart from doing past papers, memorize these key things. It will absolutely set you up for success in every subject.

Now, you know that essentially, note-making, memorizing, and doing past papers is key. But you also need to be smart about your time management. Each day, write down what you’ve accomplished: “Study for English,” “Memorize science notes,” “Memorize formulas,” “Do a class paper,” or something else. We just made sure to keep track of everything as we went along, setting clear goals and being accountable.

It really helps to divide your time well. For example, if you have English first, put your earlier time into studying for that, and then take a break before tackling other subjects that may not require as much time. Be smart about your time, hold yourself accountable, and write down your goals to stay on track.

So, my final words: good luck with the second trials! Hard work may not be possible for everyone by studying ridiculously hard, but I really turned things around. I did really well and had the best exam results I’ve ever had. It put me in a great position because my ranks improved drastically, and I was prepared for the exams. I had all the knowledge I needed, and I managed my time well in the months leading up to them.

I know it’s tough, but if you do your best, it will really pay off. Just remember, these exams are a good way to test your skills, and if you do well, you should definitely get a good result. So give it your all, drink lots of water, and do whatever you have to do to get those good marks.

Good luck, and I’ll see you later, guys!